by Sean Witty
"Don’t walk and drink.”
I can see it: It’s a hot July day in California. I’m walking barefoot across the cool hardwood floors of our un-airconditioned home. My hands are small, pressing a large, wet glass of ice water into my open mouth.
"Don’t walk and drink!”
As a parent, I have a deeper appreciation for these kinds of cliches. I can see the disaster played out in my head - a slip, a fall, a chipped tooth (or worse). Thankfully, I never witnessed it. It’s one of many useful slogans we hear growing up:
“Don’t run with scissors.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
"Don’t talk to strangers.”
“Don’t play with matches.”
The Japanese have it right. No walking and drinking simultaneously. It's called “vendo”. Get your beverage from a vending machine, then stand there and drink it. The “do” in vendo means the same as the "do" in martial arts like Kendo, Kyodo, and Bushido. It means “the way of.” The first two hours of your first Kyodo (Japanese archery) class is spent simply walking. Every movement in martial arts like Kyoto has a specific purpose.
Do you vendo?
If you do, you don’t guzzle and go, but you drink and become aware of the present moment - the weight of your body on your feet, the lifting of your head, the cold rushing through your mouth and throat.
This is challenging because life is speeding up on us.
Today, we send more mail in one day than in the entire year of 1970.
Today, we make more phone calls in one day than in the entire year of 1980.
Today, we send more email in one day than entire year of 1994.
Today, we send more sms messages (texts) in one day than in the entire year of 2001.
And 37 million What’sApp messages were sent in the time you have been reading this.
As fast as life is in 2017, the practice of living life in a healthy rhythm is a well worn path created over centuries by great spiritual masters like Jesus.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shoulders--it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Voice
If the yoke upon you feels heavy and burdensome, if it is demanding that you walk (or even run) and drink, then it is not the yoke of Jesus. Our Slow Summer Sundays will be designed to help you adjust the rhythm of your life to better reflect the rhythm of The Master.
Your first assignment comes from Jesus:
“...anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.” Matthew 10:42 The Voice.
Your first assignment is to practice vendo, to offer yourself a cup of cold water, sit still and enjoy it.
Happy Summer. See you Sunday.
~Sean
I can see it: It’s a hot July day in California. I’m walking barefoot across the cool hardwood floors of our un-airconditioned home. My hands are small, pressing a large, wet glass of ice water into my open mouth.
"Don’t walk and drink!”
As a parent, I have a deeper appreciation for these kinds of cliches. I can see the disaster played out in my head - a slip, a fall, a chipped tooth (or worse). Thankfully, I never witnessed it. It’s one of many useful slogans we hear growing up:
“Don’t run with scissors.”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”
"Don’t talk to strangers.”
“Don’t play with matches.”
The Japanese have it right. No walking and drinking simultaneously. It's called “vendo”. Get your beverage from a vending machine, then stand there and drink it. The “do” in vendo means the same as the "do" in martial arts like Kendo, Kyodo, and Bushido. It means “the way of.” The first two hours of your first Kyodo (Japanese archery) class is spent simply walking. Every movement in martial arts like Kyoto has a specific purpose.
Do you vendo?
If you do, you don’t guzzle and go, but you drink and become aware of the present moment - the weight of your body on your feet, the lifting of your head, the cold rushing through your mouth and throat.
This is challenging because life is speeding up on us.
Today, we send more mail in one day than in the entire year of 1970.
Today, we make more phone calls in one day than in the entire year of 1980.
Today, we send more email in one day than entire year of 1994.
Today, we send more sms messages (texts) in one day than in the entire year of 2001.
And 37 million What’sApp messages were sent in the time you have been reading this.
As fast as life is in 2017, the practice of living life in a healthy rhythm is a well worn path created over centuries by great spiritual masters like Jesus.
"Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shoulders--it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Voice
If the yoke upon you feels heavy and burdensome, if it is demanding that you walk (or even run) and drink, then it is not the yoke of Jesus. Our Slow Summer Sundays will be designed to help you adjust the rhythm of your life to better reflect the rhythm of The Master.
Your first assignment comes from Jesus:
“...anyone who has given so much as a cup of cold water to one of the little ones, because he is My disciple, I tell you, that person will be well rewarded.” Matthew 10:42 The Voice.
Your first assignment is to practice vendo, to offer yourself a cup of cold water, sit still and enjoy it.
Happy Summer. See you Sunday.
~Sean
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